


A Son

by clgfanfic



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2017-11-17 12:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/551575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to "Only 36 Hours until Dawn."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Son

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Of Dreams and Schemes #7 and later in Boss And Bodacious: Special Collection #2 under the pen name Lynn Gill.

Nick Ryder sat with his two partners, watching as the news recounted the plane crash that had occurred earlier that morning.  The blazing mass of tangled metal was all that was left of the passenger airliner.

Nick shook his head.  As a pilot he knew that a chance of crashing accompanied each takeoff, but like all Americans who took air travel for granted, it always came as a shock when something like this happened.

The dark-haired detective wondered why watching the report made him long for the cockpit of the _Mimi_.  More than anything he wanted to spend some time in the air, proving to himself that, indeed, the risk was worth it.

All in all, the whole situation was hitting him harder than it should.  Nick knew it, but he couldn't fathom why.  It made no sense.  He had no relatives in the Midwest, no one traveling on the plane, nothing.  Still, a deep feeling of loss left him quieter than normal.  And his two partners noticed.

"You okay?" Cody asked as Murray rose to turn off the set.

"Huh?  Uh, yeah, sure."

"It just seemed like you were someplace else."

"Yeah, I guess I was, sorry."

"Hey, guys, are we still going over to Joanna's tonight?"

Cody and Nick both looked at the thin computer specialist.

"Man, I forgot all about that," Nick said, absently rubbing the back of his neck.

"Me, too," Cody admitted.  "Still, I'm up for an evening of pleasant company."

Murray smiled and nodded.

Nick grinned.  One of these days Cody and the pretty police lieutenant were going to get serious with their casual flirtations.  "I don't really feel up to it, but I don't want to put a damper on the evening," he said.  "So why don't you two go without me?"

"Are you sure?" Cody asked, slightly concerned.  It wasn't like Nick to miss a chance to run interference with his moves on Joanna.  The pilot might not want her himself, but he had no qualms about making Cody's triumph as difficult as possible.

"Yeah, really."

"Well, I suppose we could," Cody said, "if you're sure."

"I am."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick walked slowly down the deserted beach.  The tide was going out, the sun set for over two hours.  The strange feeling of loss that had started to haunt him during the news reports had refused to leave.  He'd headed first to the _Mimi's_ pad, but once there he convinced himself that it was foolish to waste the gas flying around the Point in the dark.  With no desire to sit alone on the _Riptide_ , he had headed off down the beach, the quiet fall of waves on wet sand lulling the detective thoughts to drift.

Words he'd heard Cody say years earlier echoed in his thoughts.  _I'm nearly forty and what do I have to show?_

 _Sure there are a lot of people we've helped_ , Nick argued with himself, _but when it comes right down to it, what do we have?_

He stopped, watching a trio of crabs out on their nightly scavenging and smiled.  _We have each other, that's true.  I have two of the best friends a man could ever want.  We live comfortably, we have excitement, we help people…  Damn, why am I so depressed?_

Leaving the crabs to their work, he headed back to the boat.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick noticed the man leaning against the chain-link gate at the top of the slip as he neared.  He looked like he had been waiting for a while.

Nick's brow wrinkled.  _I wonder if it's a client.  I wish Cody and Murray were here, I really don't feel up to listening to someone else's problems tonight_.  He sighed and walked up to meet the man.

"Mr. Ryder?  Nick Ryder?"

"Who wants to know?" he asked, unconcerned if it came off sounding defensive.

"I'm Mark O'Brian, I work for the State Department."

"State Department?"

"Yes, I'm connected to the federal witness program."  The middle-aged blond removed his credentials and showed them to the detective.

Nick stomach churned.  "Look, why don't we talk on the boat."

"Thank you."

Nick led the way down the ramp to the _Riptide_ and helped the man onboard.  Leading the way to the salon, the detective remained silent, finally motioning for the man to have a seat.

"This isn't easy for me, Mister Ryder.  I've never had to do anything like this before."

"What's going on?  What would the State Department want with me?"

"Do you remember Reane Saint Claire?"

Nick's face set, his eyes narrowing slightly.  "Yes, yes, I do, why?"

"Well, as you know, she entered the federal witness protection program after she testified against her husband five years ago."

"I know all that.  Is this about Reane?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is, Mister Ryder.  You see, she was killed.  Have you heard about the airplane crash early this morning?"

Nick nodded.

"Well, she was on that flight.  I'm very sorry."

Nick felt sick.  The familiar feeling of loss rose, swelling until he found breathing difficult.  _So that's what it was_ , he thought.  _My God…  Reane_.  "Why, why are you here, telling me this?" he asked softly.

"I was Reane's case agent.  I set up her new identity, and I handled her private papers… like her will.  When I was notified of her death, I pulled those papers and read them.  There were several references to you, Mister Ryder.  I'm here to carry out Reane's wishes."

Nick stood, walking aimlessly around the small salon, trying to let the mass of confused feelings subside.  _Strange_ , he thought, _we were together for a little less than thirty-six hours and I still feel like we knew each other all our lives.  Damn.  I did love you, Reane_.  "And, uh, what were those wishes?" he asked.

O'Brian cleared his throat and removed several pages from the inside breast pocket of his jacket, unfolding them slowly.  "Well, first I have to tell you that Reane married again.  And, yes, she told her husband who she was when they decided to marry."

"What was her new name?" Nick asked softly, not sure why it mattered, but it did.

"Angela, Angela McCormick.  Her married name was Spear.  Mr. Ryder, there are a few items that Tony, her husband, will be mailing to you.  There's also a little over two thousand dollars coming from the life insurance policy.  You, uh, you were listed as one of the beneficiaries."

Nick nodded, wondering what he would be receiving from Reane's husband.

"And there's one other item…"

The detective turned to look at the agent.  O'Brian was not enjoying this in the slightest.  Nick smiled thinly for a moment.  _And I thought all these feds were heartless_. "What's that?"

"Nick–  I can call you that, can't I?  Why don't you sit down?"

"Fine," Nick said, complying by sliding into the cushioned bench seat.  He need to sit.  The room was starting to spin slightly.  _Come on, Ryder_ , he scolded himself.  _Get yourself together here_.

"I–  I don't really know how to do this easily, so I'll just give you these," he handed the dark-haired man two envelopes.  Nick's name was penned across the front of one, the other was marked "photos."

"Those were with the will.  They're from Reane."

Nick turned the white envelope over in his hands several times before he lifted the flap and removed the hand written letter inside.  O'Brian rose and walked out to the deck of the _Riptide_ , leaving the detective alone.

Nick took a deep breath and read:

 

_Dear Nick,_

_If you're reading this then something has happened to me and I'm dead.  Funny, I don't know why it scares me to write that, but it does._

_I didn't have the chance to tell you how much our time together meant to me.  I was right, giving you my journal, I haven't needed it to remember in detail the time we had.  I wonder if it's as clear for you.  I hope you're happy, Nick.  I hope you're still out there, fighting for the rest of us._

_You were born out of time, Nick, you should have been a knight.  There, you see, some of my idealism did survive after all._

_There isn't an easy way to say what I must, and I hope someday you'll be able to forgive me.  Nick, you have a son._

_I am so sorry that I couldn't tell you before now.  When I found out that I was pregnant, I was so scared, Nick.  I was alone, trying to learn a new identity, trying to forget the past.  But he was conceived in love and honesty, and I couldn't let him go.  His name is Nicholas Paul Spear._

_Nicky was eighteen months old when I met Tony, my husband.  He's a good man, Nick, and a good father.  When he asked me to marry him, I told him all about myself.  And I told him about us.  When we married he adopted Nicky._

_Nicky loves to fly.  Do you think that can be passed on from father to son?  I've left photos in a separate envelope so you can see what he looks like._

_Tony's the only father Nicky's ever known.  We told him Tony was his father.  But he also knows about his Uncle Nick, in California.  His Uncle Nick who he was named after, and who flies a big pink helicopter._

_I do love you, Nick.  I have ever since I first saw you and I've never stopped.  Even when I knew that I loved Tony, I knew that there was a part of me that still belonged to you.  I hope you can understand._

_You have a son._

_My Love,_

_Reane_

 

Nick read the letter twice before the tears blurred her handwriting into random swirls.

A son.

He had a son.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody and Murray sat in the galley, nursing cups of coffee.  It had been a long night.  Joanna had invited two girlfriends over, expecting both Murray and Nick.  The night had developed from a backyard barbecue to several rounds of Trivial Pursuit – the four of them pitted against Murray, who still beat them handily.  Cody blamed it on the practice they'd given Murray for his appearance on the Brain Buster game show.

Nick walked in to join them.

"Morning," he said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning," the other two chorused.

"You feeling better today?" Cody asked.

Nick smiled slightly.  "I guess so."

Cody frowned.  "Nick, is there something wrong?  You've been sort of withdrawn.  Maybe we can help."

 _Wrong?  No, Cody_ , Nick thought.  _Not wrong.  Sad, happy, confused, yeah, but not wrong_.  He shook his head.  "No, nothing."  He smiled at the pair.  _Knights, huh, Reane?_

"You missed a great night, Nick," Murray said.  "It was really boss.  Joanna had a two of her girlfriends over and we were playing Trivial Pursuit.  It was just like the Brain Buster show."

"Yeah," Cody groused.  "He won – every game!"

Nick laughed.  "Hey, what do you say we take the _Mimi_ out to Shark Island for the day?"

"Oh, could we?" Murray asked his expression suddenly shifting to that of a five-year-old.

Cody's forehead wrinkled.  Maybe Nick could fool Murray, but he knew there was something going on.  Maybe his friend would get around to talking about it later.  "Yeah, sounds good to me, too," the blond agreed.

"Good," Nick said, nodding.  "Good."

 

The End


End file.
